Commencement features co-valedictorians; Foundation Board Chair to speak on 10th anniversary of Dorsky Museum

NEW PALTZ – The State University of New York at New Paltz will hold the May 2011 Undergraduate Commencement Ceremony starting at 10 a.m. on Sunday May 22 on the Old Main Quadrangle. The graduate ceremony will be held on Friday, May 20 at 6 p.m., the same location.

This year’s ceremonies will recognize and celebrate the achievement of more than 1,700 undergraduate candidates and more than 600 graduate candidates in the presence of their family and friends. All members of the campus community are invited and encouraged to attend the ceremonies, which will recognize two cohorts of students: August/December 2010 and May 2011 candidates. Interim President Donald Christian will preside over the ceremonies.

Noah P. Dorsky, chair of the SUNY New Paltz Foundation, the philanthropic arm of SUNY New Paltz, and son of Samuel Dorsky, the namesake of the Samuel Dorsky Museum of Art on the New Paltz campus, will be this year’s commencement speaker.

Interim President Christian will award the President’s Medal to retired Dean of Education Robert Michael. This medal is a special honor that recognizes former Dean Michael’s 37 years of commitment and service to SUNY New Paltz’s School of Education, its students and his colleagues and to the enrichment of the teaching profession.

New Paltz will recognize two valedictorians this year. Sallie McPherson, (Rifton, N.Y.) a biology major with minors in Black studies and chemistry, and Ghady Al Rahhal, (New Paltz) who is also a biology major with minors in philosophy and chemistry. Both valedictorians will give short speeches at the ceremony.

Five members of the College’s academic, professional and classified staff will receive the Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in the categories of Teaching, Classified Service, Professional Service and Faculty Service.

Nurse Denise Sirrine in Student Health Services will receive the Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Classified Service; Associate Professor Hamid Azari-Rad, chair in economics will receive the Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Faculty Service; Professor Peter Kaufman in sociology will receive the Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching; Associate Dean Lynn Spangler of the College of Liberal Art and Sciences will receive the Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Professional Service; and Professor Reva Wolf of art history will receive the Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching.

The Chancellor’s Awards for Excellence are system-level honors conferred to acknowledge and provide system-wide recognition for consistently superior professional achievement and to encourage the ongoing pursuit of excellence.